GoodEReader.com covers a lot of news in digital publishing and ebooks, and most of that information comes directly from the industry professionals. In terms of discussing indie publishing, the best source of information is usually the author who has had a hand in developing his own self-publishing career.
One new truth the entire industry is learning at this point is that the decision to publish a book traditionally or to distribute it via ebook is no longer an either-or decision. Initially, electronic publishing and self-publishing had a reputation as a “last resort” step before throwing in the towel, but as more and more bestselling authors made impressive announcements about their indie publishing goals, doors were thrown wide open for other authors to consider the move. Now, even highly successful authors are discussing their intentions to publish some works under the traditional model of a well-known print publishing house and other manuscripts strictly indie digital.
Barbara Freethy, a bestselling and award-winning author who is currently at work on her thirtieth title, represented by Karen Solem of Spencerhill Associates, began publishing some of her works with PubIt! when the self-publishing ebook platform launched last October through Barnes & Noble. At first it was an attempt to reintroduce her backlist (previously published and often out-of-print) titles to fans who may not have found those titles when they were available in print, but as the process became rewarding for her, Freethy began working on titles to be published exclusively to e-reader.
“I published some of my titles on PubIt! right when they opened up to indie authors to upload books directly and I’ve found them to be great to work with,” said Freethy in an interview with GoodEReader.com. “I started with just three or four titles, and Summer Secrets was the first book of mine that took off. It went into the top 100 and the staff of PubIt! was great about giving me a lot of exposure. They recognize self-publishers in an entire section of the site. Their top 100 list is a genuine mix of traditional and indie published authors. They’ve put a couple of my books out in an email blast that helped give my books exposure and they mention specific books in their blog. They realize that those of us in the trenches need great communication between the publishing platform and the authors. It’s been a great partnership.”
“My last book is under contract to Pocket, but I think in the future I plan to continue self-publishing even though I currently have a foot in both worlds,” she explained. “I love the control I have over the process, especially deciding on the release dates. It’s a trade-off, because traditional publishers offer great things as well. I’m very open to a future that will include both models. I’m not closing any doors at this point, and it’s impossible to know how the market will go at this point. Even though indie is a lot of work, it’s a lot of fun.”
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
